THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER 8 страница

lost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being

indulged; and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole

town, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety

was concerned. This was fine. It was worth while to be a pirate, after

all.

As twilight drew on, the ferryboat went back to her accustomed

business and the skiffs disappeared. The pirates returned to camp. They

were jubilant with vanity over their new grandeur and the illustrious

trouble they were making. They caught fish, cooked supper and ate it,

and then fell to guessing at what the village was thinking and saying

about them; and the pictures they drew of the public distress on their

account were gratifying to look upon--from their point of view. But

when the shadows of night closed them in, they gradually ceased to

talk, and sat gazing into the fire, with their minds evidently

wandering elsewhere. The excitement was gone, now, and Tom and Joe

could not keep back thoughts of certain persons at home who were not

enjoying this fine frolic as much as they were. Misgivings came; they

grew troubled and unhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By and by

Joe timidly ventured upon a roundabout " feeler" as to how the others

might look upon a return to civilization--not right now, but--

Tom withered him with derision! Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joined

in with Tom, and the waverer quickly " explained, " and was glad to get

out of the scrape with as little taint of chicken-hearted homesickness

clinging to his garments as he could. Mutiny was effectually laid to

rest for the moment.

As the night deepened, Huck began to nod, and presently to snore. Joe

followed next. Tom lay upon his elbow motionless, for some time,

watching the two intently. At last he got up cautiously, on his knees,

and went searching among the grass and the flickering reflections flung

by the camp-fire. He picked up and inspected several large

semi-cylinders of the thin white bark of a sycamore, and finally chose

two which seemed to suit him. Then he knelt by the fire and painfully

wrote something upon each of these with his " red keel"; one he rolled up

and put in his jacket pocket, and the other he put in Joe's hat and

removed it to a little distance from the owner. And he also put into the

hat certain schoolboy treasures of almost inestimable value--among them

a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks, and one of that

kind of marbles known as a " sure 'nough crystal. " Then he tiptoed his

way cautiously among the trees till he felt that he was out of hearing,

and straightway broke into a keen run in the direction of the sandbar.

CHAPTER XV

A FEW minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading

toward the Illinois shore. Before the depth reached his middle he was

half-way over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he

struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards. He swam

quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he

had expected. However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along

till he found a low place and drew himself out. He put his hand on his

jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through

the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments. Shortly before

ten o'clock he came out into an open place opposite the village, and

saw the ferryboat lying in the shadow of the trees and the high bank.

Everything was quiet under the blinking stars. He crept down the bank,

watching with all his eyes, slipped into the water, swam three or four

strokes and climbed into the skiff that did " yawl" duty at the boat's

stern. He laid himself down under the thwarts and waited, panting.

Presently the cracked bell tapped and a voice gave the order to " cast

off. " A minute or two later the skiff's head was standing high up,

against the boat's swell, and the voyage was begun. Tom felt happy in

his success, for he knew it was the boat's last trip for the night. At

the end of a long twelve or fifteen minutes the wheels stopped, and Tom

slipped overboard and swam ashore in the dusk, landing fifty yards

downstream, out of danger of possible stragglers.

He flew along unfrequented alleys, and shortly found himself at his

aunt's back fence. He climbed over, approached the " ell, " and looked in

at the sitting-room window, for a light was burning there. There sat

Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary, and Joe Harper's mother, grouped together,

talking. They were by the bed, and the bed was between them and the

door. Tom went to the door and began to softly lift the latch; then he

pressed gently and the door yielded a crack; he continued pushing

cautiously, and quaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might

squeeze through on his knees; so he put his head through and began,

warily.

" What makes the candle blow so? " said Aunt Polly. Tom hurried up.

" Why, that door's open, I believe. Why, of course it is. No end of

strange things now. Go 'long and shut it, Sid. "

Tom disappeared under the bed just in time. He lay and " breathed"

himself for a time, and then crept to where he could almost touch his

aunt's foot.

" But as I was saying, " said Aunt Polly, " he warn't BAD, so to say

--only mischEEvous. Only just giddy, and harum-scarum, you know. He

warn't any more responsible than a colt. HE never meant any harm, and

he was the best-hearted boy that ever was" --and she began to cry.

" It was just so with my Joe--always full of his devilment, and up to

every kind of mischief, but he was just as unselfish and kind as he

could be--and laws bless me, to think I went and whipped him for taking

that cream, never once recollecting that I throwed it out myself

because it was sour, and I never to see him again in this world, never,

never, never, poor abused boy! " And Mrs. Harper sobbed as if her heart

would break.

" I hope Tom's better off where he is, " said Sid, " but if he'd been

better in some ways--"

" SID! " Tom felt the glare of the old lady's eye, though he could not

see it. " Not a word against my Tom, now that he's gone! God'll take

care of HIM--never you trouble YOURself, sir! Oh, Mrs. Harper, I don't

know how to give him up! I don't know how to give him up! He was such a

comfort to me, although he tormented my old heart out of me, 'most. "

" The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away--Blessed be the name of

the Lord! But it's so hard--Oh, it's so hard! Only last Saturday my

Joe busted a firecracker right under my nose and I knocked him

sprawling. Little did I know then, how soon--Oh, if it was to do over

again I'd hug him and bless him for it. "

" Yes, yes, yes, I know just how you feel, Mrs. Harper, I know just

exactly how you feel. No longer ago than yesterday noon, my Tom took

and filled the cat full of Pain-killer, and I did think the cretur

would tear the house down. And God forgive me, I cracked Tom's head

with my thimble, poor boy, poor dead boy. But he's out of all his

troubles now. And the last words I ever heard him say was to reproach--"

But this memory was too much for the old lady, and she broke entirely

down. Tom was snuffling, now, himself--and more in pity of himself than

anybody else. He could hear Mary crying, and putting in a kindly word

for him from time to time. He began to have a nobler opinion of himself

than ever before. Still, he was sufficiently touched by his aunt's

grief to long to rush out from under the bed and overwhelm her with

joy--and the theatrical gorgeousness of the thing appealed strongly to

his nature, too, but he resisted and lay still.

He went on listening, and gathered by odds and ends that it was

conjectured at first that the boys had got drowned while taking a swim;

then the small raft had been missed; next, certain boys said the

missing lads had promised that the village should " hear something"

soon; the wise-heads had " put this and that together" and decided that

the lads had gone off on that raft and would turn up at the next town

below, presently; but toward noon the raft had been found, lodged

against the Missouri shore some five or six miles below the village

--and then hope perished; they must be drowned, else hunger would have

driven them home by nightfall if not sooner. It was believed that the

search for the bodies had been a fruitless effort merely because the

drowning must have occurred in mid-channel, since the boys, being good

swimmers, would otherwise have escaped to shore. This was Wednesday

night. If the bodies continued missing until Sunday, all hope would be

given over, and the funerals would be preached on that morning. Tom

shuddered.

Mrs. Harper gave a sobbing good-night and turned to go. Then with a

mutual impulse the two bereaved women flung themselves into each

other's arms and had a good, consoling cry, and then parted. Aunt Polly

was tender far beyond her wont, in her good-night to Sid and Mary. Sid

snuffled a bit and Mary went off crying with all her heart.

Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, so

appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old

trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she

was through.

He had to keep still long after she went to bed, for she kept making

broken-hearted ejaculations from time to time, tossing unrestfully, and

turning over. But at last she was still, only moaning a little in her

sleep. Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shaded the

candle-light with his hand, and stood regarding her. His heart was full

of pity for her. He took out his sycamore scroll and placed it by the

candle. But something occurred to him, and he lingered considering. His

face lighted with a happy solution of his thought; he put the bark

hastily in his pocket. Then he bent over and kissed the faded lips, and

straightway made his stealthy exit, latching the door behind him.

He threaded his way back to the ferry landing, found nobody at large

there, and walked boldly on board the boat, for he knew she was

tenantless except that there was a watchman, who always turned in and

slept like a graven image. He untied the skiff at the stern, slipped

into it, and was soon rowing cautiously upstream. When he had pulled a

mile above the village, he started quartering across and bent himself

stoutly to his work. He hit the landing on the other side neatly, for

this was a familiar bit of work to him. He was moved to capture the

skiff, arguing that it might be considered a ship and therefore

legitimate prey for a pirate, but he knew a thorough search would be

made for it and that might end in revelations. So he stepped ashore and

entered the woods.

He sat down and took a long rest, torturing himself meanwhile to keep

awake, and then started warily down the home-stretch. The night was far

spent. It was broad daylight before he found himself fairly abreast the

island bar. He rested again until the sun was well up and gilding the

great river with its splendor, and then he plunged into the stream. A

little later he paused, dripping, upon the threshold of the camp, and

heard Joe say:

" No, Tom's true-blue, Huck, and he'll come back. He won't desert. He

knows that would be a disgrace to a pirate, and Tom's too proud for

that sort of thing. He's up to something or other. Now I wonder what? "

" Well, the things is ours, anyway, ain't they? "

Pretty near, but not yet, Huck. The writing says they are if he ain't

back here to breakfast. "

" Which he is! " exclaimed Tom, with fine dramatic effect, stepping

grandly into camp.

A sumptuous breakfast of bacon and fish was shortly provided, and as

the boys set to work upon it, Tom recounted (and adorned) his

adventures. They were a vain and boastful company of heroes when the

tale was done. Then Tom hid himself away in a shady nook to sleep till

noon, and the other pirates got ready to fish and explore.

CHAPTER XVI

AFTER dinner all the gang turned out to hunt for turtle eggs on the

bar. They went about poking sticks into the sand, and when they found a

soft place they went down on their knees and dug with their hands.

Sometimes they would take fifty or sixty eggs out of one hole. They

were perfectly round white things a trifle smaller than an English

walnut. They had a famous fried-egg feast that night, and another on

Friday morning.

After breakfast they went whooping and prancing out on the bar, and

chased each other round and round, shedding clothes as they went, until

they were naked, and then continued the frolic far away up the shoal

water of the bar, against the stiff current, which latter tripped their

legs from under them from time to time and greatly increased the fun.

And now and then they stooped in a group and splashed water in each

other's faces with their palms, gradually approaching each other, with

averted faces to avoid the strangling sprays, and finally gripping and

struggling till the best man ducked his neighbor, and then they all

went under in a tangle of white legs and arms and came up blowing,

sputtering, laughing, and gasping for breath at one and the same time.

When they were well exhausted, they would run out and sprawl on the

dry, hot sand, and lie there and cover themselves up with it, and by

and by break for the water again and go through the original

performance once more. Finally it occurred to them that their naked

skin represented flesh-colored " tights" very fairly; so they drew a

ring in the sand and had a circus--with three clowns in it, for none

would yield this proudest post to his neighbor.

Next they got their marbles and played " knucks" and " ring-taw" and

" keeps" till that amusement grew stale. Then Joe and Huck had another

swim, but Tom would not venture, because he found that in kicking off

his trousers he had kicked his string of rattlesnake rattles off his

ankle, and he wondered how he had escaped cramp so long without the

protection of this mysterious charm. He did not venture again until he

had found it, and by that time the other boys were tired and ready to

rest. They gradually wandered apart, dropped into the " dumps, " and fell

to gazing longingly across the wide river to where the village lay

drowsing in the sun. Tom found himself writing " BECKY" in the sand with

his big toe; he scratched it out, and was angry with himself for his

weakness. But he wrote it again, nevertheless; he could not help it. He

erased it once more and then took himself out of temptation by driving

the other boys together and joining them.

But Joe's spirits had gone down almost beyond resurrection. He was so

homesick that he could hardly endure the misery of it. The tears lay

very near the surface. Huck was melancholy, too. Tom was downhearted,

but tried hard not to show it. He had a secret which he was not ready

to tell, yet, but if this mutinous depression was not broken up soon,

he would have to bring it out. He said, with a great show of

cheerfulness:

" I bet there's been pirates on this island before, boys. We'll explore

it again. They've hid treasures here somewhere. How'd you feel to light

on a rotten chest full of gold and silver--hey? "

But it roused only faint enthusiasm, which faded out, with no reply.

Tom tried one or two other seductions; but they failed, too. It was

discouraging work. Joe sat poking up the sand with a stick and looking

very gloomy. Finally he said:

" Oh, boys, let's give it up. I want to go home. It's so lonesome. "

" Oh no, Joe, you'll feel better by and by, " said Tom. " Just think of

the fishing that's here. "

" I don't care for fishing. I want to go home. "

" But, Joe, there ain't such another swimming-place anywhere. "

" Swimming's no good. I don't seem to care for it, somehow, when there

ain't anybody to say I sha'n't go in. I mean to go home. "

" Oh, shucks! Baby! You want to see your mother, I reckon. "

" Yes, I DO want to see my mother--and you would, too, if you had one.

I ain't any more baby than you are. " And Joe snuffled a little.

" Well, we'll let the cry-baby go home to his mother, won't we, Huck?

Poor thing--does it want to see its mother? And so it shall. You like

it here, don't you, Huck? We'll stay, won't we? "

Huck said, " Y-e-s" --without any heart in it.

" I'll never speak to you again as long as I live, " said Joe, rising.

" There now! " And he moved moodily away and began to dress himself.

" Who cares! " said Tom. " Nobody wants you to. Go 'long home and get

laughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate. Huck and me ain't cry-babies.

We'll stay, won't we, Huck? Let him go if he wants to. I reckon we can

get along without him, per'aps. "

But Tom was uneasy, nevertheless, and was alarmed to see Joe go

sullenly on with his dressing. And then it was discomforting to see

Huck eying Joe's preparations so wistfully, and keeping up such an

ominous silence. Presently, without a parting word, Joe began to wade

off toward the Illinois shore. Tom's heart began to sink. He glanced at

Huck. Huck could not bear the look, and dropped his eyes. Then he said:

" I want to go, too, Tom. It was getting so lonesome anyway, and now

it'll be worse. Let's us go, too, Tom. "

" I won't! You can all go, if you want to. I mean to stay. "

" Tom, I better go. "

" Well, go 'long--who's hendering you. "

Huck began to pick up his scattered clothes. He said:

" Tom, I wisht you'd come, too. Now you think it over. We'll wait for

you when we get to shore. "

" Well, you'll wait a blame long time, that's all. "

Huck started sorrowfully away, and Tom stood looking after him, with a

strong desire tugging at his heart to yield his pride and go along too.

He hoped the boys would stop, but they still waded slowly on. It

suddenly dawned on Tom that it was become very lonely and still. He

made one final struggle with his pride, and then darted after his

comrades, yelling:

" Wait! Wait! I want to tell you something! "

They presently stopped and turned around. When he got to where they

were, he began unfolding his secret, and they listened moodily till at

last they saw the " point" he was driving at, and then they set up a

war-whoop of applause and said it was " splendid! " and said if he had

told them at first, they wouldn't have started away. He made a plausible

excuse; but his real reason had been the fear that not even the secret

would keep them with him any very great length of time, and so he had

meant to hold it in reserve as a last seduction.

The lads came gayly back and went at their sports again with a will,

chattering all the time about Tom's stupendous plan and admiring the

genius of it. After a dainty egg and fish dinner, Tom said he wanted to

learn to smoke, now. Joe caught at the idea and said he would like to

try, too. So Huck made pipes and filled them. These novices had never

smoked anything before but cigars made of grape-vine, and they " bit"

the tongue, and were not considered manly anyway.

Now they stretched themselves out on their elbows and began to puff,

charily, and with slender confidence. The smoke had an unpleasant

taste, and they gagged a little, but Tom said:

" Why, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowed this was all, I'd a learnt

long ago. "

" So would I, " said Joe. " It's just nothing. "

" Why, many a time I've looked at people smoking, and thought well I

wish I could do that; but I never thought I could, " said Tom.

" That's just the way with me, hain't it, Huck? You've heard me talk

just that way--haven't you, Huck? I'll leave it to Huck if I haven't. "

" Yes--heaps of times, " said Huck.

" Well, I have too, " said Tom; " oh, hundreds of times. Once down by the

slaughter-house. Don't you remember, Huck? Bob Tanner was there, and

Johnny Miller, and Jeff Thatcher, when I said it. Don't you remember,

Huck, 'bout me saying that? "

" Yes, that's so, " said Huck. " That was the day after I lost a white

alley. No, 'twas the day before. "

" There--I told you so, " said Tom. " Huck recollects it. "

" I bleeve I could smoke this pipe all day, " said Joe. " I don't feel

sick. "

" Neither do I, " said Tom. " I could smoke it all day. But I bet you

Jeff Thatcher couldn't. "

" Jeff Thatcher! Why, he'd keel over just with two draws. Just let him

try it once. HE'D see! "

" I bet he would. And Johnny Miller--I wish could see Johnny Miller

tackle it once. "

" Oh, don't I! " said Joe. " Why, I bet you Johnny Miller couldn't any

more do this than nothing. Just one little snifter would fetch HIM. "

" 'Deed it would, Joe. Say--I wish the boys could see us now. "

" So do I. "

" Say--boys, don't say anything about it, and some time when they're

around, I'll come up to you and say, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a smoke. '

And you'll say, kind of careless like, as if it warn't anything, you'll

say, 'Yes, I got my OLD pipe, and another one, but my tobacker ain't

very good. ' And I'll say, 'Oh, that's all right, if it's STRONG

enough. ' And then you'll out with the pipes, and we'll light up just as

ca'm, and then just see 'em look! "

" By jings, that'll be gay, Tom! I wish it was NOW! "

" So do I! And when we tell 'em we learned when we was off pirating,

won't they wish they'd been along? "

" Oh, I reckon not! I'll just BET they will! "

So the talk ran on. But presently it began to flag a trifle, and grow

disjointed. The silences widened; the expectoration marvellously

increased. Every pore inside the boys' cheeks became a spouting

fountain; they could scarcely bail out the cellars under their tongues

fast enough to prevent an inundation; little overflowings down their

throats occurred in spite of all they could do, and sudden retchings

followed every time. Both boys were looking very pale and miserable,

now. Joe's pipe dropped from his nerveless fingers. Tom's followed.

Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might

and main. Joe said feebly:

" I've lost my knife. I reckon I better go and find it. "

Tom said, with quivering lips and halting utterance:

" I'll help you. You go over that way and I'll hunt around by the

spring. No, you needn't come, Huck--we can find it. "

So Huck sat down again, and waited an hour. Then he found it lonesome,

and went to find his comrades. They were wide apart in the woods, both

very pale, both fast asleep. But something informed him that if they

had had any trouble they had got rid of it.

They were not talkative at supper that night. They had a humble look,

and when Huck prepared his pipe after the meal and was going to prepare

theirs, they said no, they were not feeling very well--something they

ate at dinner had disagreed with them.

About midnight Joe awoke, and called the boys. There was a brooding

oppressiveness in the air that seemed to bode something. The boys

huddled themselves together and sought the friendly companionship of

the fire, though the dull dead heat of the breathless atmosphere was

stifling. They sat still, intent and waiting. The solemn hush

continued. Beyond the light of the fire everything was swallowed up in

the blackness of darkness. Presently there came a quivering glow that

vaguely revealed the foliage for a moment and then vanished. By and by

another came, a little stronger. Then another. Then a faint moan came

sighing through the branches of the forest and the boys felt a fleeting

breath upon their cheeks, and shuddered with the fancy that the Spirit

of the Night had gone by. There was a pause. Now a weird flash turned

night into day and showed every little grass-blade, separate and

distinct, that grew about their feet. And it showed three white,

startled faces, too. A deep peal of thunder went rolling and tumbling

down the heavens and lost itself in sullen rumblings in the distance. A

sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling all the leaves and snowing the

flaky ashes broadcast about the fire. Another fierce glare lit up the

forest and an instant crash followed that seemed to rend the tree-tops

right over the boys' heads. They clung together in terror, in the thick

gloom that followed. A few big rain-drops fell pattering upon the

leaves.

" Quick! boys, go for the tent! " exclaimed Tom.

They sprang away, stumbling over roots and among vines in the dark, no

two plunging in the same direction. A furious blast roared through the

trees, making everything sing as it went. One blinding flash after

another came, and peal on peal of deafening thunder. And now a

drenching rain poured down and the rising hurricane drove it in sheets

along the ground. The boys cried out to each other, but the roaring

wind and the booming thunder-blasts drowned their voices utterly.

However, one by one they straggled in at last and took shelter under

the tent, cold, scared, and streaming with water; but to have company

in misery seemed something to be grateful for. They could not talk, the

old sail flapped so furiously, even if the other noises would have

allowed them. The tempest rose higher and higher, and presently the

sail tore loose from its fastenings and went winging away on the blast.